The Collaborations Workshop 2017 (CW17) #CollabW17 is set to be the best ever! It’s set to be quite an event with charismatic and knowledgeable keynotes, generous sponsors, fantastic mini-workshops, and the opportunities to learn, engage and benefit are plenty! The focus of the workshop is the Internet of Things (IoT) and Open Data: implications for research. The schedule will also allow time for other sustainability related topics including reproducible research, training, career path discussions and cloud for research. So there will be something for everyone!

We are proud to announce that our primary sponsor this year is Microsoft, who have very kindly offered free IoT kits and Cloud time to the first 100 to register There will be a talk about the work at Microsoft in this space and an announcement around bidding for free cloud time from Azure. There will also be plenty of time to learn how to setup and use the IoT device at a mini-workshop session, and we encourage (but don’t require) you to use your device in the Hackday competition.

We are pleased to announce our keynote speaker on IoT will be Usman Haque of Umbrellium. Usman is a founder of Umbrellium and has a huge amount of experience in and knowledge of the IoT space. Learn and be entertained at the same time!

We are also very fortunate to have Tom Forth as our keynote speaker on Open Data. Tom is founder of imactive and has worked closely with ODI Leeds and the Data Mill North. From technology to use cases and social good, Tom’s talk is set to be eye-opening and informative.

There will be a panel Q&A session on IoT and Open Data and another on Sustainability Software Practice. The sustainable software panel will including international participants, Daniel S. Katz, Assistant Director for Scientific Software and Applications at NCSA and a leader of the WSSSPE initiative, and Jonah Duckles, the Executive Director of the Software Carpentry Foundation.

A host of mini-workshops/ demo sessions are planned. They will include a legal guide from qLegal on topics for the research and startup community and a Software Carpentry guide to structuring learning material and adapting formats and materials for specific research domains.

With over 30 lightning talks planned, discussions with speed blogging to hone your collaborative writing skills, ideas sessions, networking, a social programme, Hackday and prizes will all take place in the lovely setting of the Leeds University Business School. The multifaceted nature of the event makes for a truly engaging experience.

CW17 is your goto event for gaining knowledge and connecting with the IoT and Open Data communities, gaining a better understanding of sustainability, forming collaborations and taking practical skills back to your groups and domains.